This invention relates to devices for training roping skills, and particularly, to a training device for training competition roping skills. The invention also encompasses a roping training method.
Roping is a practical skill required in the ranching industry, and steer and calf roping survive today as popular spectator and participation sports. Both amateur and professional rodeos include various types of roping competitions. Calf roping and various types of steer roping are all popular rodeo events.
Dally team roping is a popular steer roping competition in modern rodeo. In Dally team roping, a team of riders consisting of a header and a heeler cooperate to rope the horns and hind legs of a steer as the steer runs along the rodeo arena. The competition starts with the steer in a center chute with the header positioned on the left hand side of the steer and the heeler positioned on the right hand side. When the steer is released and runs from the chute, the header and heeler follow the steer out into the arena until the header ropes the steer at its head and then turns the steer off approximately 90.degree. to the left. This 90.degree. turn to the left allows the heeler to turn his horse in behind the steer and cross over to the left hand side of the steer to a proper roping position. Once in the roping position, the heeler ropes the hind legs of the steer. The header and heeler then stretch the steer between the two horses.
A good deal of skill is required in both heading and heeling and both maneuvers require a great deal of training. The traditional training technique was to repeat each maneuver with live animals. However, this traditional training technique was time consuming, expensive in that the livestock had to be maintained, and required a large arena with a suitable chute for the steers.
Another roping training method was to simply have the trainee stand on the ground and practice roping a stationary practice dummy. Although this training technique was inexpensive, it was also unrealistic in that the perspective of the person training was substantially different than the perspective he would have in a riding position on a horse.
A more recent training method employed a practice dummy which was pulled or otherwise propelled so that a rider could follow along behind the dummy to practice roping. Although this method partially solved the problem of perspective, it was unrealistic in that the pulled or propelled dummy did not provide the relative movement which occurred in the actual heading or heeling maneuver. Also, since the movement of both the practice dummy and the horse varied from run-to-run, the trainee could not develop a good uniforming roping motion. Furthermore, this training technique required a good deal of space.
One prior roping training device included a horse simulator mounted on a wheeled and self propelled platform, and a separate propelled roping dummy or target. However, this roping training device was impractical in that it could only be used in large paved areas, was very expensive, and was not capable of constantly repeating the proper relative movement between the rider and the roping target.